The Last Reel
The Last Reel is the fourth and final part of Little Witch Academia: Ragnarok Tetralogy. This cour focused more on Shiny "Nova" Flash aka. Biri Biri as he reminiscing about his time with Noah before having a confrontation against the one who pulled the strings of Naglfar, the legendary Woodward herself. During this time, Akko finally regained the ability to fly, Ursula and Croix had a heartfelt farewell as the latter dedicated herself to find the cure from Wagandea exposure, all occuring three months after the final battle against the dreaded Nidhoggr. Plot Summary The Day of Departure (Everything Begins) It begins in the first day of April, three months after the defeat of dreaded Nidhoggr. Croix is accompanied by two wizards who prepared to bring her to the custody, with Holbrooke reminds her that she is always accepted at Luna Nova. The former Modern Magic professor is relieved that the school still accepted her, though she stated that there are some business that she need to take care of beforehand, including finding the cure for Wagandea exposure. This surprised both Biri Biri and Ursula (who now no longer hide her hair's true color), but they nevertheless impressed with Croix's genuine resolve to set things right. While Biri Biri apologized to both Chariot and Croix about his unintended part in the fracture of their friendship in the past as well as getting Croix hurt, Croix lovingly hugs the volkar and assured to him that she understood that he wanted the best not just for Chariot, but also for her as well. Croix even revealed that she now understand why Woodward emotionally distant towards everyone including them, having heard about it from Noah beforehand back when still working alongside him and Rinza. Just then, the two wizard who accompany Croix told her that it's time for them to go. As they departed, Ursula calls out that she will wait for Croix as she leaves. As Ursula expressed her relief that her friendship with Croix finally beginning to mend after a decade of bitterness and hostility, Biri Biri recalled that he had some business to take care of, and prepared to make his leave as well. This surprised Ursula, who reminds the volkar that Akko is going to have her supposed "shiny moment" that day, at which Biri Biri reassured that he will join Akko and others very soon. Meanwhile, Akko is preparing to make another attempt to access flight magic, convinced that the day would be her shiny moment with her friends around her. To her dismay, her broom still sit in its place instead of floating. Sucy (who playing games with Constanze) and Amanda expressed No. surprise that this would happened, though Lotte told Akko that it's already getting better (Veth even pointed out that Akko's broom generate more amount of magic than before albeit too weak to support flight). Diana remarked that it might be too early for her shiny moment in spite of Akko's insistence. Just then, Andrew, accompanied by Frank, Holbrooke, Ursula, and Finellan appeared, at which he returned Akko's hat back to its owner. As the Japanese prepare for another attempt to fly with her broom, Lotte and Sucy reminded Akko that she just need to believe in herself. Before she could chant the spell for flight magic, everyone noticed that Akko already floating most of the time, with her feet barely touching the ground. Surprised and delighted by the recent development, Akko and everyone present expressed their joy, with Yondu cried, "Let's get this party started!" All Good Things... Meanwhile, Biri Biri enters a rundown two-stories house located in the heart of Arcturus Forest. The house itself is surrounded by a garden of flowers, some which planted by both Biri Biri and Noah long ago. The feel of nostalgia flows through the weasel as he explored the house, recalling how he and Noah initially built it as a hovel, before expanding it into two-stories house it later became. The reason why the house special for them was because Noah found the weasel when he was a little cub there, long before they built a house over it. He also recalled that there's a village not far from their home, though now it had been reduced into ruins as result of chaos from strife between witches and normal humans, the same chaos that ended Noah's life and how Woodward's relation with humanity and even her fellow Nine Olde Witches started to deteriorate. It's revealed that Biri Biri had buried Noah's body beside the house, where in that way, Noah finally returned home after all these centuries. Even after he became the ruthless Lord and later, Man on Wheelchair, Noah still longed to return to his old home, a wish that Biri Biri granted before he slipped away. For a time he thought the noble young man he cherished as his older brother was gone after his body being desecrated and revived as the ruthless Lord, only to be proven wrong when the fight that reduced him to Man on Wheelchair, coupled with how he saw Akko's life paralleled with his own in the past, allowed Noah to resurface from his crippled body and saved the world he ironically sought to destroy in the end. After packing up Noah's still-useful belongings as either memento or items that worth to be passed to his new master Akko, Biri Biri is about to left the house when he sees a mysterious woman with antlers on her head standing in front of Noah's grave. In that moment, the woman with antlers turned on his direction and greets with familiar voice, "Hello, Nova." To Biri Biri's shock, the woman with antlers before him greatly resembles Woodward a bit, albeit looked elderly with barely visible wrinkles on her face. Unsure whether he knew her, the weasel inquired her whether she really Woodward. The woman with antlers confirmed that she really Woodward, and apologized to Biri Biri for lying to him and others about her passing long ago: It's revealed that somehow, her resentments and grudge towards humanity for her son's tragic death literally kept her alive that she outlived her fellow Nine Olde Witches, leaving her as the last surviving member of the legendary coven. In order to continue her personal campaign against normal humans as well as keeping the secret of her unnatural longevity compared to her fellow Nine Olde Witches, she faked her passing to distract her students and followers so she can look for Lord, the undead being her son had become. Figuring out that Noah aka. Lord was still alive albeit as Man on Wheelchair as well as share a common resentment towards humanity, Woodward decided to silently manipulate events into his and Naglfar's favor as they capturing more Pomokai Holoholonas and performing experiments in hopes of restoring Nidhoggr. Even though at that time she had steeled her resolve in punishing humanity, Woodward began to wonder whether mankind still worth to be forgiven before her eyes, which is why she tasked Chariot and Croix to look for all Seven Words of Arcturus to restore magic in the world, leaving Naglfar with their own devices for a time being. However, when she figured out that Chariot was the descendant of humans who involved with very strife that ended Noah's life and worse, unintentionally crippled Akko(Noah's descendant)'s magic, she took it as the last straw and continue focusing on Naglfar instead, forsaking her duty as one of Nine Olde Witches. The revelation where Woodward had pulled the strings of both sides for her own ends angered Biri Biri, but he composed himself enough to understood that she meant to fill the gaps for him. After processing everything he just learned, Biri Biri rightfully pointed out an irony of Woodward's actions: Woodward didn't want any of her son's descendants to be harmed, yet she caused a harm on Akko through neglecting Croix, leading her betrayed Chariot by tricking her to use Dream Fuel Spirit in the first place, effectively making Woodward a hypocrite. The prospect of her becoming what she hate most add another salt on injury in Woodward's broken heart, whereas Biri Biri lamented how bitterness and grudge had allowed Woodward to sink lower that Croix ever did before performing an unforeseen miracle: The Fallen Volkar summoned the Shiny Rod before her eyes, and the staff becomes black and emerald as soon as it landed on his paws. ...Must Come to An End Shocked, Woodward demanded how he can summon Claiomh Solais at will, at which Biri Biri explained that being born with power of the staff, he and other Pomokai Holoholonas have a connection with it. However, because of his greater compatibility with Shiny Rod, he can summon the staff at will and the time he spent in the quest for Words allowed him to understand its power and even sensed its will: The staff now wanted to put an end of madness Woodward had started once and for all as much as him. With the two have no more things to discuss, Biri Biri and Woodward clashes. ---- Though less than thrilled with Yondu and Rico's antics, Finnelan noticed that someone is missing: Biri Biri. Upon inquired about Biri Biri's whereabouts, Ursula become uneasy for some reasons, but shrugs it off and stating that Biri Biri had a business to take care of. ---- Back at Noah's old home, an emotional and intense duel ensued between old Woodward and Biri Biri, with the Fallen Volkar make use of the power of First Word, Second Word, Third Word, and Fifth Word respectively in avoiding and counteracting his opponent's assaults. Woodward may be powerful for her capabilities of summoning energy blast and magic-infused root-based constructs, but it all no match against combination of Biri Biri's own skill and power of the Seven Words. During the long fight, Woodward had a series of flashbacks as she enduring and parrying Biri Biri's assaults; the day where Beatrix convinced her to help Pomokai Holoholonas finding their place in magical world, the moment she saw young Noah taught Biri Biri compassion, the awful night where Biri Biri severely crippled Lord monstrous revived self, her fallout with Beatrix over the faith on normal humans, the moment she saw how Akko managed to reverse Biri Biri's Lost Soul transformation, and the moment she saw Biri Biri and Croix accompanied Noah in his last moments before his second and final death. Like her, both Biri Biri and Noah lost themselves into bitterness and hatred, but always able to find the way out with help of their loved ones. The same thing also apply on Croix, but why Woodward herself cannot? The entire flashbacks, coupled with Biri Biri using Shiny Rod against her, caused Woodward to falter, though it doesn't stop her from fighting. She managed to knock the staff off Biri Biri's hands and about to cut him with energy scythe formed around her wand, only for him teleported for the staff at the last moments and continue fighting. She still trying to fight for what she believed in, but part of her begin to realize the pointlessness of quest for revenge. Soon, her feelings started to fail her, giving Biri Biri an opening to deliver a crippling blow on her chest. However, instead of Shiny Rod, the blow came from his arm scythes, not wanting to stain the staff with its original master's blood. The slash wound, coupled with realization from the error in her ways, caused Woodward to almost lose consciousness, much to Biri Biri's shock as the blow was not fatal. Woodward weakly explained that it was not because of him, but rather her loss of drive to continue living in bitterness. She lamented that the Fallen Volkar and Beatrix was right about vengeance all along, having realized how much it costed her and others which made her a failure compared to her fellow Nine Olde Witches and even Chariot and Biri Biri themselves. Just then, Beatrix appeared before both Biri Biri and Woodward, arguing that she never a failure, just simply someone who need help most and forgot what's most important. The two then helped the pained Woodward over to Noah's grave, where she conjured a boquet of flower she put over it, and sadly informed Biri Biri how he chose the correct path and even helping Akko, Chariot, Croix, and even Noah to do the same as well as put his loved ones first over duty, whereas she took a worse path and betrayed herself in process. As the last bit of her life begins to slip away, Woodward asked Biri Biri to keep chose the wisest of choices, and the three finally made peace. And so it was how one of greatest witches who shaped magical world into the world it was passed away for real, with Beatrix and Biri Biri still kneeling down, looking at her. Eternity (Here's to You) After several attempts, Akko finally made another progress with her magic. Her friends are there, save for Biri Biri who yet to return, and it made her worry. Biri Biri is basically an older brother for her, having aid her to come up this far, but why he isn't there when she finally able to fly after all these months? Even Veth begin to worry, if emotion she felt from her childhood guardian angel through their connection is the indication. The dejected Akko landed beside Veth when she sees a familiar weasel who greets with familiar voice, "Did I missed the party?" "Biri Biri!" In front of her, Biri Biri is there, who then having himself playfully noogied by both Yondu and Veth for coming up late. The brunette can't help but laugh, before hugs her familiar once they're done. Biri Biri then has a conversation with Finnelan who stated that she owed him an apology for questioning his capabilities in guiding Akko. Biri Biri then expressed his desire to continue guiding Akko as her familiar and "see what the future brings". ---- Sometime later, Biri Biri is watching Akko struggle to hone her flight magic skills with Nelson and Ursula looked on. The life as Akko's familiar is what made him feel that he really at home. Whereas Noah introduced him compassion and love, Akko reminds him why he had both in the first place, which allow him to come up this far. Looking back at his past struggles, there's no denying that he had went through painful hardships. Akko, Noah, Croix, and Chariot lost their way, Woodward went from being flawed to worse. He got home, family, and everything, whereas Woodward got nothing but burning road and crooked empire on her hands. Nothing but sadness and pity that Biri Biri felt from the legendary witch. She wanted the best for both her family and students, yet the bitterness from a personal loss clouded her judgement that it turned her into something she's not. He, Chariot, and Akko had went a similar loss, but it still pale compared to hers. Despite this, it's more than enough to help them related to Woodward in some way, and how he finally allowed Woodward to regain the peace she lost. After all, role models are never flawless to begin with. Category:LWA Ragnarok Tetralogy Category:Fan Fictions Category:TV Series